Cu rtain -stretc h er



(No Model.)

0. LINDEB. CURTAIN $TRETOHER.

. No. 532.382. 3 Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

QI7TEYL I a 6 WELIMIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllWEN!lllllllllllllllllll|l%iill\lll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LINDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CURTAlN STRETC-HER:

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,382, dated January 8, 1 895.

Application filed June 6, 1894:. Serial No. 513,665- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LINDER, of the city of St. Luis,in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gurtain-Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relatesv to certain improvements in curtain stretchers, and has for its object the production of a device which .may be readily adjusted for use or as readily knocked down and folded in a convenient shape for packing, storing or transporting, and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claim. Figure I is a plan view of my improved device. Fig. II is an edge view of the stretcher. Fig. III is an enlarged, detail, top view of the corner clamping devices. Fig. IV is a section taken on line IVIV, Fig. III. Fig. V is an enlarged, detail, top view and shows the scarf joint in the side rail in using position clamped by the crank-arm pivot-bolt. Fig. VI is an edge view of the central portion of a side rail when folded.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 1 represent the side rails and 2 the end rails of the stretcher. The side rails are provided with a crank-arm pivot bolt 3, passed through perforations near the centralconnected ta-' pered ends ofthe rails and on the one end of which bolt is a plain nut 4, and on the opposite end a thumb nut 5, which may be readily adjusted to draw the two sections together and firmly secure them by the tightening of the thumb nut 5.

6 represents pins or Woodscrews over which slots 7 in the tapered ends of the opposite portions of the rail pass, and in the closing movement of r the thumb nut 5, the parts of the rail are drawn together to force the two sections slightly forward toward the central bolt3, and thus firmly clamps the points or ends beneath the heads of the screws.

Tocomplete the stretcher frame, the two side rails are placed in position and the corner clamping devices consisting of a top plate 8, Ll-shaped rods 9, and a set screw 10 are passed over the end of one of the side rails and within the same clamp is inserted one end of the end rail and by the tightening of the set screw 16), the two ends are firmly sesured, and by use of four of these clamping devices the frame is connected at all four corners, and may be readily adjusted on loosening the set screws in the clamping devices by moving the rails one upon the other, when curtains of various sizes are to be stretched.

To knock the stretcher down and fold it into suitable shape for packing, storing or transporting, the screws in the corner clamping devices are loosened, which admits of the ready removal therefrom-of the rails, the side ones of which are then folded by turning the thumb nut 5 back into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. V, which allows the inner ends of the rail to be moved apart, and thus disengage the tapered ends from the screws 6, which leaves the two sections of the rail free to revolve, on the pivot bolt, into the folded position shown in Fig. VI, or one-half its extended length, and therefore may be packed in a receptacle of convenient length.

By the construction of 'a hinge as herein set forth there is practically no obstruction to the passage of the hooks employed to hold length, thus providing for the thorough support of the curtain.

I claim as my invention The combination of the end rails, the folding scarf-jointed side rails having slotted ends, corner clamping devices, and the crankpivot bolts, nuts, and pins whereby the. sections of the side rails are connected; substantially as described.

CHARLES LINDER. 

